Monday, January 17, 2011

For those new followers (I love you, thank you for thinking our blog is worth following!) I have to repeat that Wilson does not like dogs, or strangers. That's why I'm pretty sure his little doggie heart starts to race with love, respect and whatever else when Cookie comes around.

This here is Cookie, a ten year old Dalmatian Mix.

What a character I tell ya. She's part of the little pack of friends and their dogs that I like to refer to as the Woofles Pack. She's the eldest and currently the largest in the group, and boy does she know how to treat dogs and people. She's always willing to let people pet her and share the news with other dogs. Cookie also knows how to treat a fear aggressive dog. She does this thing where she will completely ignored Wilson until he calms down and then lets him smell her over carefully as she 'ignores' him. So far it has worked wonders for him! He's gotten to the point that when Cookies around he's more willing to come out of his shell and romp about, almost play with other dogs even! He loves to follow her every where and shows off when she's around.

We joke that he likes the older more experienced ladies XD.

If I ever needed proof of how much he respects and loves the older dog, then the last time I was with Cookie and her owner in the last few days of snow free weather would be such an example. Cookies owner walked back to toss out a poo bag and Cookie trotted after her. I sat there watching as Wilson followed a few feet behind. He went farther then I have ever seen him go from my side and I was interested to see just how daring my pup was so I stayed where I stood. He would keep looking back at me with a pathetic look and then bark at Cookie.... Maybe telling her to wait for him or come back? She of course ignored him and went her merry way. Wilson finally gave up and sat down (I like to think that there was a 'Ploop' sound when he did). Clearly he went as far as he dared and he waited until Cookie and her owner started back and then feel in behind them.

I was shocked, jaw dropping shocked. hahahaha maybe even a little jealous of Cookie and whatever Wilson feels for her. Is that strange to say? LOL! But really I'm glad that there's a dog that Wilson can get that attached too, its one of those life balancing steps that I was looking for!

Anyways, I'll shut up and share a few pictures I had taken of Wilson following Cookie around the few times we have been to the park. Enjoy!

(For those of you wondering why Wilson is wearing a leash, its because his recall is not the greatest yet. Especially at the dog park so the leash helps give me something to grab if he gets that crazy running look in his eyes!)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Say what? A Secret Santa post in the middle of January? … Yeah … Sorry about that folks. Anyways Wilson and I took part in Corgi Butt’s Secret Santa gift exchange, and we got our package a few days after New Years from Sam and Finely from The Corgi Chronicles!

Well by now Wilson has got a good handle on opening packages and he was more then excited to see me lay these on the floor and trust me he made quick work of them. Here’s what he got. And these are the best picture I could get cause after I let him have it he was to excited to hold still or pose for the camera. Oh yes, and Fin, Wilson also gets a huge kick out of the ear squeakers!

We love the envelop and the card! Both where very cute!

Wilson also got a pack of greenies. I gave him one that evening and he trotted off with it. A week later I found this greenie hidden behind his bed 0.o I snapped a picture and then placed it on the kitchen counter. Oh my strange boy, he's eaten all the others I had given him but not this first one and now its rock hard but he would not stop starting at where I put it on the counter so I gave in and gave it back to him...Only to watch him hide it underneath a pillow. *sigh*

Look at that content face! Wilson really likes this toy! So both Wilson and I would like to say thank you to Sam and Fin. Again I'm sorry for the late post =) And lets not forget the grand boy and his owner Kelly that set up this secret santa exchange!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I figured it was about time that I post Wilson's story and how I ended up owning my favorite fat wiener dog. Unfortunately there was some dog abuse in his past that I had to briefly gloss over, but its not all bad!

I'm luckier then most people who ended up owning a dog that they themselves didn't buy from a breeder or even a petstore (not that I agree that its ok to buy from a petstore, but thats a different story). I know where Wilson came from, I know a portion of his story and some of the causes of a few of his 'issues'. But let me start from the beginning.

The first time I saw Wilson he was taking a crash nap right against the window of a kennel he shared with his siblings at the petstore I visited often to pick up feeders for my reptiles and snake. I wouldn't say it was love at first sight but I was definitely interested. This was the second time I ever saw a long haired dachshund, the first being Sir Charlie who belonged to a friend of mine. I remember briefly thinking about asking to see one of the puppys but decided that I didn't have time, but these guys where not forgotten. For the next two weeks or so I would log onto the Internet and start googling about the breed whenever I wasn't doing anything.

I would drop by the pet store and take the time to watch them running about but one by one would vanish from the group having been sold till there was none left about three weeks-ish later. I wasn't all that worried about it though, I hadn't made any emotional connection to any of the puppies at this point since I never asked to hold one or play with them. It was at this point that I figured that my first dog might be a doxie when I was ready and had done more research into the breed.

A few days later I walked into the petstore to see Wilson in a kennel with two maltese puppies. I recognised him from the litter and asked my friend why he was back? She shook her head sadly as she told me that the people that had bought him had an allergic reaction to him so the store let the people return him. I continued to stop by and visit (my visits turning into full on play time in the store's 'puppy love room') when I was there for reptile food, for some reason he was there for almost a month when I got a picture message and text from a friend of Wilson saying how much she loved Wilson and how she liked him enough to buy him. She was excited and I was excited cause he would finally have a home and I could see him now and again since I had gotten attached to the silly fluff ball. Well .... she had three younger kids and at that point I hadn't done any deep research into dachshunds besides the basics like they originated from Germany,good for apartments, the coat types and colors, they got back problems easily and where known to be stubborn. Dachshunds don't do well with little hyperactive kids, and I'm ashamed that I also didn't know at this time to tell her that they are not the best first dog either.So he went home, newly named Wilson and I saw him once in a long while. At the same time I was doing more research into a few breeds that I was interested in and when I learned more about doxies I would shared it with my friend. Now before I get into the rest of the story I have to ask that you not dislike my friend, she didn;t know how hard raising a puppy is, she was in a tough spot in life and didn't really know what to do about all it. Three young kids and a puppy are not the greatest mix for a young mother.

Then I started getting texts and phone calls. She was having a hard time house training the dog, the dog was eating the kids stuff then the questions from her just stopped. I didn't even think about it, on the rare visits I had with Wilson he seems fine, hyperactive but fine. Well it turns out that when she wasn't home her boyfriend would leave Wilson in his kennel for very long periods of time so he didn't have to care for him. Wilson was a puppy, puppies have small bladders and I found out much later after Wilson came to me that the boyfriend would kick the kennel around with Wilson in it. Currently Wilson has a panic attack if he is in his kennel and I leave the room, not just the whinny high pitch barking but crazy sounds I have only hear dogs in extreme distress make. Don't worry I'm working on solving this, Wilsons taking baby steps with this and I bought him a completely new kennel in the hopes that this will help.

I was told by her mom later after Wilson came to me that Wilson got out once and a big dog escaped from its yard and bite him on the rump. I'm not sure how hard, but not hard enough to scar since I have looked. This and the fact that he didn't get a long of socialisation at this time is the main reason he fears large dogs and doesn't know how to interact with other dogs his size even when he clearly wants too. This makes me soo glad that my friend Alicia has Cookie, a 11ish year old Dalmatian. The only big dog that Wilson likes LOVES, she completely ignores him until he finally settles down and afterward he just follows her everywhere.

Wilson also has an extreme hatred for males and young kids, I mean he dislikes strangers but he really hates guys. He hates guys even more the kids, I can only wonder what other tortures that Wilson had to suffer from a certain guy... Whatever, but don't be down about this! Wilson likes my younger brother which is a big step for him, it took a few treats and my brother ignoring him for Wilson to realize that his boy wasn't going to do anything. There's one male he likes, I take this as a good sign and I try to get those guys at the dog park that clearly are hardcore doggie lovers to give Wilson a treat and chat him up even if Wilson is barking his head off at the guys.

Anyways, there's a list of things that I know that happened that has effected him but I'm slowly working past all of them, he will always be never fully right but I'll get him to the point where it doesn't matter. Thank goodness that Dogs are Dogs and not People, People have a tendency to remember and linger, Dogs in the right environment just move on to better things.Next time I saw Wilson her mom had him in her car as she was visiting elderly patents, She was sick of seeing him being in that kennel all the time so she would take him with her while she worked, at this point he would bark and growl at strangers so she couldn;t take him in with her. I dropped by to say hi and she filled me in on the stuff that my friend wasn't telling me about Wilson. She also said she was trying to find someone to take Wilson, cause she's be damned if she was going to leave that dog where he was. This all happened a few days after I found out that Condo board for where we were living had changed its rules for animals and now we could have two cats, dogs or mix as long as the dogs where within the size limit and my mom was debating on another cat or finally getting a dog. I told my friends mom to keep looking but make sure that he didn;t go anywhere till I discussed this with my mother, she agreed and later I brought it up with my mom who had also seen Wilson now and again.

She was a bit wary of getting a dog that wasn't a young puppy and that was "mess up" but I finally got her to agree. First would would let him into our home on a trial period of a few months to make sure this works out with Mindy and the family, and Second he was to be neutered. Oh and third he was my dog, and he would leave with me when I moved out. I told my friends mom and she agreed to those terms. And Wilson came to live with me, indefinitely. His paper work came along for the ride, vaccines gotten when a puppy and his current vet records, thank goodness!

He was slowly switched off the horrible food he was on and he fell in love briefly with the water fountain we had for the cat. He treated it like it was gold and rushed to it often to drink from it once he discovered it. He acted like he never seen water, which I guess would make sense if he was locked in a kennel for very long hours without food or water. His pee that first day was a horrible color that screamed dehydration, but don't worry that cleared up soon. In-fact I was surprised (and a little worried) at how much he was drinking but soon that fascination and desperate gulping of water subsided after he realized that it was going to always be there for him, he only had to share it with the cat.

Over a year later and Wilson is almost a completely different dog from when I first got him, he hardly ever humps anymore, in the summer is taken to the dog park at least once a week to get used to dogs and their owners and a lot of other things. I can't offer him the perfect dog life, not currently anyways, but I try my hardest to make sure he lives a doggie life worth living.

My friend and her kids still see Wilson now and again, as much as they are little hyperactive kiddo's they love Wilson and he always has a happy waggy tail thumping about when he greets them (they also happen to be the only kids he can stand at this moment). They love him even more so now that he's not humping them all the time LOL!

Anyways, thanks for reading guys! I'm going to turn this into the content of a page soon! Have a good night. =)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Just a short post, I don't mean to spam everyone with three posts in just as many days but I wanted to try doing this myself. This is my part in the Top Ten Favorite Dog Posts Challenge by Dancing Dog Blog. Now I can understand why the bloogers that took part thought it was hard. I follow a lot of blogs but here are five posts that stood out this year